A power semiconductor module packaged independently of the main body of the semiconductor device is used in a semiconductor device which electronically controls an inverter device, an uninterruptible power system, a working machine, an industrial robot, or the like. The power semiconductor module is configured by mounting semiconductor chips acting as various kinds of power semiconductor elements, such as insulated gate bipolar transistors (hereafter presented as “IGBTs”), configuring a power converter circuit on an insulating circuit board, and packaging the insulating circuit board. Furthermore, control integrated circuits which control the power semiconductor elements are also mounted on the insulating circuit board and included in the package, thereby configuring an intelligent power module (IPM) (for example, refer to PTL 1).
This kind of power semiconductor module is generally configured in the following way. Firstly, semiconductor chips are mounted on circuit patterns on an insulating circuit board by soldering. Ends of external terminals formed integrally with a terminal case are also joined to the circuit patterns on the insulating circuit board. The semiconductor chips and circuit patterns, the circuit patterns and external terminals, or the semiconductor chips and external terminals are wire bonded using metal wires, and the inside of the terminal case is injected and sealed with a resin, thereby performing a packaging. Also, an arrangement is made such that it is possible to release heat generated in the power semiconductor elements to the exterior by a radiating surface provided on the side opposite from portions of the terminal case in which the external terminals are mounted to abut against cooling fins or the like.
Alternatively, in another power semiconductor module manufacturing method, power semiconductor elements (semiconductor chips) and control integrated circuits (hereafter referred to as control ICs) are firstly mounted on an insulating circuit board. Meanwhile, a lead frame formation body is set in a predetermined mold, and a terminal case with which a lead frame is insert molded integrally by a resin injection molding is prepared. An internal terminal and an external terminal are molded in advance for each of leads of the lead frame by a press work. Subsequently, a reflow soldering treatment is carried out by abutting the external terminals and internal terminals of the integrally formed lead frame against corresponding solder layers in a condition in which the insulating circuit board mounted with the control integrated circuits (hereafter referred to as the control ICs) and power semiconductor chips are mounted in the terminal case. Consequently, by this one reflow soldering, the semiconductor chips are soldered to the top of the insulating circuit board, and at the same time, it is possible to carry out a soldering of the semiconductor chips to the internal terminals of the leads without carrying out a wire bonding (refer to PTL 1).